Is Mac OS actually Linux?

[sbasak]

I heard that Mac OS kernel is based on Linux.

Is this true? If yes, which distro of Linux it resembles?

[koshatnik]

No, its based on Unix. Linux is not.

[kestrel1]

I think you will find that OSX is actually based on Unix as is Linux.

[Skripka]

Nope.


OSX is related to BSD, but that is about it.

[koshatnik]

I think you will find that OSX is actually based on Unix as is Linux.

Linux is unix-like. Its not based on unix. OS X is Unix certified.

[sbasak]

You guys are confusing me:roll:

Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE etc. are based on Unix.
Windoz is NOT based on Unix.
Mac OS X is based on Unix.

So Mac OS is more similar to Linux than Windows?

If that's the case, why do people use Mac book then??

[kestrel1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows

[koshatnik]

You guys are confusing me:roll:

Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE etc. are based on Unix.
Windoz is NOT based on Unix.
Mac OS X is based on Unix.

So Mac OS is more similar to Linux than Windows?

If that's the case, why do people use Mac book then??

Linux is not based on unix. It uses unix structure, but it is not based on unix code. OSX is based on BSD, and is unix certified.

[tad1073]

No, its based on Unix. Linux is not.

Actually Linux is based on Minux which is based on Unix

[Skripka]

You guys are confusing me:roll:

Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE etc. are based on Unix.
Windoz is NOT based on Unix.
Mac OS X is based on Unix.

So Mac OS is more similar to Linux than Windows?

If that's the case, why do people use Mac book then??

Quoth Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X

Mac OS X is based upon the Mach kernel.[7] Certain parts from FreeBSD's and NetBSD's implementation of Unix were incorporated in Nextstep, the core of Mac OS X. Nextstep was the object-oriented operating system developed by Steve Jobs' company NeXT after he left Apple in 1985.[8] While Jobs was away from Apple, Apple tried to create a "next-generation" OS through the Taligent, Copland and Gershwin projects, with little success.[9]
Eventually, NeXT's OS—then called OPENSTEP—was selected to be the basis for Apple's next OS, and Apple purchased NeXT outright.[10] Steve Jobs returned to Apple as interim CEO, and later became CEO again, shepherding the transformation of the programmer-friendly OPENSTEP into a system that would be adopted by Apple's primary market of home users and creative professionals. The project was first known as Rhapsody and was later renamed to Mac OS X.[11]

[shadoweva00]

You guys are confusing me:roll:

Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE etc. are based on Unix.
Windoz is NOT based on Unix.
Mac OS X is based on Unix.

So Mac OS is more similar to Linux than Windows?

If that's the case, why do people use Mac book then??

The original Unix software owners allowed students in universities to study the code in it, from that dozens of Unix clones appeared. One was BSD, which OSX is based on. Another clone of Unix was Linux and that's what Ubuntu, fedora, etc... are based on. They are referred to as Unix type OSes since they are highly compatible and similar in structure to Unix.

[kk0sse54]

Mac OS X originally took some code from BSD however it is not directly based off it. Even still that was so long ago that now and days it can no where near be considered a BSD Variant Operating System.

[JT9161]

You guys are confusing me:roll:

Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE etc. are based on Unix.
Windoz is NOT based on Unix.
Mac OS X is based on Unix.

So Mac OS is more similar to Linux than Windows?

If that's the case, why do people use Mac book then??

Ubuntu, Fedora, etc are all built on top of the Linux kernal, said kernal in UNIX like (meaning it does things similar to the way UNIX does things)

Windows is Windows, No relation to UNIX or Linux (couldn't tell you about the Win/DOS relationship)

Mac OS is based on BSD, A UNIX. It is certified as UNIX.

[kk0sse54]

Mac OS is based on BSD, A UNIX. It is certified as UNIX.

Mac OS is unix certified however the various BSD OSs are not although they remains a closer relative to unix than any linux distro.

[sbasak]

Wikipedia clearly says Mac OS is based on Unix!!

I didn't know that. I always thought Mac OS is a fundamentally different OS.

Now I'm wondering why do people use Mac OS rather than using any good flavors of Linux - like Ubuntu, Fedora etc.?

Is it just because of strong marketing from Apple?

:-k

[bashveank]

Wikipedia clearly says Mac OS is based on Unix!!

I didn't know that. I always thought Mac OS is a fundamentally different OS.

Now I'm wondering why do people use Mac OS rather than using any good flavors of Linux - like Ubuntu, Fedora etc.?

Is it just because of strong marketing from Apple?

:-k

Commercial application support, vendor support, UI polish, color profiling. There could be lots of reasons.

[OutOfReach]

The Linux kernel is minix-like, and Minix was Unix-like. Linux is NOT based on Minix nor Unix.

Mac OS X, as I've heard, is based on BSD which again is Unix-like. It is NOT based on Unix.

Windows is just it's own thing.

So yes, Linux and Mac OS X are similar, but because of their UNIX-like nature.

[Skripka]

Wikipedia clearly says Mac OS is based on Unix!!

I didn't know that. I always thought Mac OS is a fundamentally different OS.


It was, until OS X came along. MacOS through OS9 was a strange and fickle critter.

[bobbob1016]

No, Mac OSX is built on Unix. Linux is basically made on something made to look and work like Unix. That's basically how I understand it.

[koshatnik]

Now I'm wondering why do people use Mac OS rather than using any good flavors of Linux - like Ubuntu, Fedora etc.?

Is it just because of strong marketing from Apple?

:-k

Applications. Apps sell an OS. No point having an OS if you dont have killer aps for it. Would you buy a games console with no games available for it?

[penguindrive]

Mac OSX uses the darwin kernel which is based on freebsd which is based on Berkely Unix which is a version of unix.
Linux was a fix to minix because Linus torvalds thought micro kernels were stupid.
Windows uses the NT kernel which is the succesor to the MS-DOS kernel which is a rebranded version of QDOS.
GNU was a free software rewrite from scratch of unix made by Richard M. Stallman.
GNU's kernel HURD is still in developement, so the Linux kernel is used instead.
Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch etc. are distributions of GNU/Linux.

There you go.

[TBOL3]

No, Linux is made by a bunch of people who can figure out what is was designed to be like. :lolflag:

Now, OS X, OS X was made by a bunch of people who have Monopolistic practices, and can't stand society. As such, it was based around such as system, where no one could figure out what kind of OS they were building. Again :lolflag:

[speedwell68]

Mac OSX uses the darwin kernel which is based on freebsd which is based on Berkely Unix which is a version of unix.
Linux was a fix to minix because Linus torvalds thought micro kernels were stupid.
Windows uses the NT kernel which is the succesor to the MS-DOS kernel which is a rebranded version of QDOS.
GNU was a free software rewrite from scratch of unix made by Richard M. Stallman.
GNU's kernel HURD is still in developement, so the Linux kernel is used instead.
Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch etc. are distributions of GNU/Linux.

There you go.

^^^WHS. I was waiting for someone to actually mention GNU.:D

[theApokalypsis]

Mac OSX uses the darwin kernel which is based on freebsd which is based on Berkely Unix which is a version of unix.
Linux was a fix to minix because Linus torvalds thought micro kernels were stupid.
Windows uses the NT kernel which is the succesor to the MS-DOS kernel which is a rebranded version of QDOS.
GNU was a free software rewrite from scratch of unix made by Richard M. Stallman.
GNU's kernel HURD is still in developement, so the Linux kernel is used instead.
Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch etc. are distributions of GNU/Linux.

There you go.

and regressing further, QDOS was derived from CP/M


thanks for the info tho about GNU, nice read

[jimi_hendrix]

it uses the Darwin Kernel, not the Linux one

[JackieChan]

Mac rips off of Unix, not Linux.

[Greg]

Out of curiousity, why did GNU pick Linux Kernel over Minix kernel to work with if HURD is a micro kernel?

[jwbrase]

Defining "Unix" and "based on Unix" is very tricky. Nowadays, "Unix" means "compliant with the Single Unix Specification and programmed by people with enough money to get their OS certified to use the Unix trademark." But some of the older Unixes predate the SUS and aren't compliant with it. Also there are some systems that are SUS compliant and use the Unix trademark that never had any connection to the original Unix codebase. Then you have your BSD variants, which are descended from the original Unix, but aren't certified under the SUS.

Apparently there are a number of open source OS's that are in theory SUS compliant, but just don't have the financial resources to be certified.

Anyways, as far as I understand it:

Mac OS X is a form of Unix, and also descends from the original Unix.

BSD descends from Unix, but isn't certified, and thus isn't a form of Unix.

Linux is based on Unix, but isn't certified, nor do I believe that there is any direct descent codewise.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Out of curiousity, why did GNU pick Linux Kernel over Minix kernel to work with if HURD is a micro kernel?

Because Linux was more easy to work with, from what I understand.
Also HURD is still in development and not ready for a real relese even after 10 years.

[Skripka]

Because Linux was more easy to work with, from what I understand.
Also HURD is still in development and not ready for a real relese even after 10 years.

Actually...HURD has been in development for going on 20 years. :lolflag:

[KiwiNZ]

Mac rips off of Unix, not Linux.

no one is ripping off anyone with this .

[Sef]

Originally Posted by Greg http://ubuntuforums.org/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6979868#post6979868)
Out of curiousity, why did GNU pick Linux Kernel over Minix kernel to work with if HURD is a micro kernel?


GNU didn't pick the Linux Kernel. Basically the shell was done, but there was no kernel, and with GNU software under the GPL, others picked up the kernel-less GNU shell and used the Linux kernel with it.

[rhcm123]

You all should read this (see attached file), it explains all the differences between the Mac os 10.4 kernel and the Linux kernel, along with what it actually is. I hear all the time, "no it's a microkernel", or "it's BSD", or "YOU FOOL! IT'S A DARWIN KERNEL!" or some grumbles about mach. Just read the file, it explains all.

(To read the pdf, see attached zip file, or you can download from source here (http://events.ccc.de/congress/2007/Fahrplan/events/2303.en.html).)

[SunnyRabbiera]

Actually...HURD has been in development for going on 20 years. :lolflag:

Yeh sorry typo, I had a phone call when I wrote that.

[smartboyathome]

Just remember folks, Linus himself had said that he wouldn't have created Linux if the BSD kernel wasn't going through legal trouble at the time. ;)

And Mac OSX is based off of the NeXTSTEP kernel, with bits of BSD.

[sbasak]

Can a Macbook be booted with Linux via live CD or from USB disk?

[bashveank]

Can a Macbook be booted with Linux via live CD or from USB disk?


Yes. You hold down the option key on boot and it gives you a boot menu.

[Brunellus]

GNU/HURD is the kernel of the future--and always will be. GNU--the userspace tools--existed before there was a suitable GNU kernel. Linux happened to be the one that caught on.

The HURD is apparently theoretically superior, but it's apparently not ready for prime time.

[gorucan]

it contains freeBSD components.

[spupy]

By the way, you can install and use the FOSS operating system Darwin. It is written by Apple and contains some software that is in the core of OS X. You can run normal Gnome on it, i think.

[Tibuda]

By the way, you can install and use the FOSS operating system Darwin. It is written by Apple and contains some software that is in the core of OS X. You can run normal Gnome on it, i think.

Yes, Darwin is like the Mac OS X kernel. It is open source, and you can download the source code or CD images (http://www.opensource.apple.com/darwinsource/). It does not have the Aqua toolkit, so you would not be able to run Mac GUI applications. All you can do is install X Server, and your favorite Linux desktop environment. Better stick with Linux.